“Earlier on Friday, the prosecutor’s office submitted a request to extend the term of the president’s detention”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
Earlier on Friday, the prosecutor’s office submitted a request to extend the term of the president’s detention.
The request was denied due to the lack of good grounds to continue the investigation under the direction of the prosecutor’s office, since the case had already been transferred to the Office for the Investigation of Corruption Among Senior Officials (CIO).
Because the court denied the request for an extension, the prosecution has limited time to conduct a personal interrogation of Yoon, who has so far refused to cooperate with the CIO.
Now, the prosecutor’s office is preparing a new indictment if the court rejects the request to extend the arrest.
Yoon was arrested on charges of sedition, becoming the first sitting head of South Korea to be detained as part of a criminal case.
Once the warrant is issued, investigators can detain Yoon for up to 20 days, including the days he has already spent at the detention center after being arrested at his residence in Seoul on Wednesday, January 15.
South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol declared a state of emergency in the country on Dec. 3, calling the opposition an “anti-state force” and saying he was acting to protect the country from “threats” from North Korea, without giving details. The military then announced that the activities of the parliament and political parties would be banned and attempted to enter the parliament building.
After voting in parliament for a resolution demanding the lifting of martial law, the military left the building. On the night of December 4, Seoul time, Yoon Seok-yeol announced the lifting of martial law, which was declared for the first time since 1980.
Prosecutors are investigating allegations of treason and abuse of power against current President Yoon Seok-yeol. Amid the investigation, he was banned from leaving the country.
Yoon has previously rejected accusations of mutiny and said the imposition of martial law was a “deeply vetted political decision”.
On December 14, South Korea’s parliament voted to remove President Yoon Seok-yeol from office. On December 16, the Constitutional Court of South Korea began hearing the case of his impeachment.
The Constitutional Court must make a final decision on whether to confirm Yun’s impeachment or declare it unconstitutional. The court has about six months to make a decision.